This book examines the history of Western attempts to explain how messages might be sent from the sense organs to the brain and from the brain to the muscles. It focuses on a construct called animal ...
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This book examines the history of Western attempts to explain how messages might be sent from the sense organs to the brain and from the brain to the muscles. It focuses on a construct called animal spirit, which would permeate philosophy and guide physiology and medicine for over two millennia. The book's story opens along the Eastern Mediterranean, where it examines how Pre-Socratic philosophers related the soul to air-wind or pneuma. It then traces what Hippocrates, Plato, and Aristotle wrote about this pneuma, and how Stoic and Epicurean philosophers approached it. It also visits Alexandria, where Hellenistic anatomists provided new thoughts about the nerves and the ventricles. Thereafter the book shows how Galen's pneuma psychikon or spiritus animae would provide an explanation for sensations and movements. Galen's writings would guide science and medicine for well over a thousand years, albeit with some modifications. One change, found in early Christian writers Nemesius and Augustine, involved assigning perception, cognition, and memory to different spirit-filled ventricles. The book then turns to how questions began to be raised about it in the 1500s and 1600s. Here it examines the rise of modern science. Nevertheless, the animal spirit doctrine continued to survive because no adequate replacement for it was immediately forthcoming. The replacement theory stemmed from experiments on electric fishes started in the 1750s. Additional research eventually led scientists to abandon their time-honored ideas. The book traces some of the developments leading to modern electrophysiology and ends with an epilogue centered on what this history teaches us about paradigmatic changes in the life sciences.Less

The Animal Spirit Doctrine and the Origins of Neurophysiology

C.U.M. SmithEugenio FrixioneStanley FingerWilliam Clower

Published in print: 2012-07-11

This book examines the history of Western attempts to explain how messages might be sent from the sense organs to the brain and from the brain to the muscles. It focuses on a construct called animal spirit, which would permeate philosophy and guide physiology and medicine for over two millennia. The book's story opens along the Eastern Mediterranean, where it examines how Pre-Socratic philosophers related the soul to air-wind or pneuma. It then traces what Hippocrates, Plato, and Aristotle wrote about this pneuma, and how Stoic and Epicurean philosophers approached it. It also visits Alexandria, where Hellenistic anatomists provided new thoughts about the nerves and the ventricles. Thereafter the book shows how Galen's pneuma psychikon or spiritus animae would provide an explanation for sensations and movements. Galen's writings would guide science and medicine for well over a thousand years, albeit with some modifications. One change, found in early Christian writers Nemesius and Augustine, involved assigning perception, cognition, and memory to different spirit-filled ventricles. The book then turns to how questions began to be raised about it in the 1500s and 1600s. Here it examines the rise of modern science. Nevertheless, the animal spirit doctrine continued to survive because no adequate replacement for it was immediately forthcoming. The replacement theory stemmed from experiments on electric fishes started in the 1750s. Additional research eventually led scientists to abandon their time-honored ideas. The book traces some of the developments leading to modern electrophysiology and ends with an epilogue centered on what this history teaches us about paradigmatic changes in the life sciences.

We don’t perceive the world and then react to it. We learn to know it from our interactions with it. All inputs that reach the cerebral cortex about events in the brain, the body, or the world bring ...
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We don’t perceive the world and then react to it. We learn to know it from our interactions with it. All inputs that reach the cerebral cortex about events in the brain, the body, or the world bring two messages: one is about these events, the other, travelling along a branch of that input, is an instruction already on its way to execution. This second message, not a part of standard textbook teaching, allows us to anticipate our actions, distinguishing them from the actions of others, and thus providing a clear sense of self. The mammalian brain has a hierarchy of cortical areas, where higher areas monitor actions of lower areas, and each area can modify actions to be executed by the phylogenetically older brain parts. Brains of our premammalian ancestors lacked this hierarchy, but their descendants are still strikingly capable of movement control: frogs can catch flies. The cortical hierarchy itself appears to establish and increase, from lower to higher levels, our conscious access to events. This book explores the neural connections that provide us with a sense of self and generate our conscious experiences. It reveals how much yet needs to be learnt about the relevant neural pathways.Less

The Brain as a Tool : A Neuroscientist's Account

Ray Guillery

Published in print: 2017-09-14

We don’t perceive the world and then react to it. We learn to know it from our interactions with it. All inputs that reach the cerebral cortex about events in the brain, the body, or the world bring two messages: one is about these events, the other, travelling along a branch of that input, is an instruction already on its way to execution. This second message, not a part of standard textbook teaching, allows us to anticipate our actions, distinguishing them from the actions of others, and thus providing a clear sense of self. The mammalian brain has a hierarchy of cortical areas, where higher areas monitor actions of lower areas, and each area can modify actions to be executed by the phylogenetically older brain parts. Brains of our premammalian ancestors lacked this hierarchy, but their descendants are still strikingly capable of movement control: frogs can catch flies. The cortical hierarchy itself appears to establish and increase, from lower to higher levels, our conscious access to events. This book explores the neural connections that provide us with a sense of self and generate our conscious experiences. It reveals how much yet needs to be learnt about the relevant neural pathways.

This book contains a large collection of beautiful figures produced throughout the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, which represent some characteristic examples of the early days of research ...
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This book contains a large collection of beautiful figures produced throughout the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, which represent some characteristic examples of the early days of research in neuroscience. The main aim of this work is to demonstrate to the general public that the study of the nervous system is not only important for the many obvious reasons related to brain function in both health and disease, but also for the unexpected natural beauty that it beholds. This beauty has been discovered thanks to the techniques used to visualize the microscopic structure of the brain, a true forest of colorful and florid neural cells. As illustrated by his marvelous drawings, the studies of Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) no doubt contributed more than those of any other researcher at the time to the growth of modern neuroscience. Thus, his name has been honored in the title of this book, even though the figures contained in the main body of it are from 91 different authors. Looking at the illustrations in this book, the readers will find that many of the early researchers that studied the nervous system were also true artists, of considerable talent and esthetic sensibility. Hence, the present book contains numerous drawings of some of the most important pioneers in neuroscience, including Deiters, Kolliker, Meynert, Ranvier, Golgi, Retzius, Nissl, Dogiel, Alzheimer, del Rio-Hortega, and de Castro.Less

Cajal's Butterflies of the Soul : Science and Art

Javier DeFelipe

Published in print: 2009-10-16

This book contains a large collection of beautiful figures produced throughout the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, which represent some characteristic examples of the early days of research in neuroscience. The main aim of this work is to demonstrate to the general public that the study of the nervous system is not only important for the many obvious reasons related to brain function in both health and disease, but also for the unexpected natural beauty that it beholds. This beauty has been discovered thanks to the techniques used to visualize the microscopic structure of the brain, a true forest of colorful and florid neural cells. As illustrated by his marvelous drawings, the studies of Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934) no doubt contributed more than those of any other researcher at the time to the growth of modern neuroscience. Thus, his name has been honored in the title of this book, even though the figures contained in the main body of it are from 91 different authors. Looking at the illustrations in this book, the readers will find that many of the early researchers that studied the nervous system were also true artists, of considerable talent and esthetic sensibility. Hence, the present book contains numerous drawings of some of the most important pioneers in neuroscience, including Deiters, Kolliker, Meynert, Ranvier, Golgi, Retzius, Nissl, Dogiel, Alzheimer, del Rio-Hortega, and de Castro.

This book is a reprint of an English translation of Cajal's original work, with abundant notes and commentaries by the editor. Cajal's fundamental contributions to neuroscience continue to be ...
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This book is a reprint of an English translation of Cajal's original work, with abundant notes and commentaries by the editor. Cajal's fundamental contributions to neuroscience continue to be important today and this account accurately details his ideas and data. The book also provides readers with the opportunity to learn what Cajal thought about his research career and the significance of his observations. Excerpts from Tello's memorial lectures also provide a contemporary view of Cajal's work.Less

Cajal's Degeneration and Regeneration of the Nervous System

Santiago Ramon y Cajal

Published in print: 1991-11-14

This book is a reprint of an English translation of Cajal's original work, with abundant notes and commentaries by the editor. Cajal's fundamental contributions to neuroscience continue to be important today and this account accurately details his ideas and data. The book also provides readers with the opportunity to learn what Cajal thought about his research career and the significance of his observations. Excerpts from Tello's memorial lectures also provide a contemporary view of Cajal's work.

Cajal’s Neuronal Forest: Science and Art continues the tradition set forth in the 2009 publication Cajal’s Butterflies of the Soul: Science and Art. This new compilation contains a vastly large ...
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Cajal’s Neuronal Forest: Science and Art continues the tradition set forth in the 2009 publication Cajal’s Butterflies of the Soul: Science and Art. This new compilation contains a vastly large collection of beautiful figures produced throughout the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. These images continue to represent and illustrate characteristic examples of the early days of research in neuroscience. Most scientific figures presented by the neuroanatomists of the time were their own drawings; microphotography was not yet a well-developed technique. Therefore, a successful neuroanatomist required a combination of artistic talent and an ability to interpret microscopic images effectively. The problem was that these illustrations were not necessarily free of technical errors and they may have been subject to the scientists’ own interpretations. Indeed, in some cases, these drawings were considered to be basically artistic interpretations rather than accurate copies of the histological preparations. Furthermore, there are many examples showing that even using the same microscopes and the same techniques, scientists “see” differently through the microscope. As a result, this period of scientific “art” and skepticism represents a fascinating page in the history of neuroscience as it provided the basis of our current understanding of the anatomy of the nervous system.Less

Cajal's Neuronal Forest : Science and Art

Javier DeFelipe

Published in print: 2017-12-13

Cajal’s Neuronal Forest: Science and Art continues the tradition set forth in the 2009 publication Cajal’s Butterflies of the Soul: Science and Art. This new compilation contains a vastly large collection of beautiful figures produced throughout the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. These images continue to represent and illustrate characteristic examples of the early days of research in neuroscience. Most scientific figures presented by the neuroanatomists of the time were their own drawings; microphotography was not yet a well-developed technique. Therefore, a successful neuroanatomist required a combination of artistic talent and an ability to interpret microscopic images effectively. The problem was that these illustrations were not necessarily free of technical errors and they may have been subject to the scientists’ own interpretations. Indeed, in some cases, these drawings were considered to be basically artistic interpretations rather than accurate copies of the histological preparations. Furthermore, there are many examples showing that even using the same microscopes and the same techniques, scientists “see” differently through the microscope. As a result, this period of scientific “art” and skepticism represents a fascinating page in the history of neuroscience as it provided the basis of our current understanding of the anatomy of the nervous system.

For modern scientists, history often starts with last week's journals and is regarded as largely a quaint interest compared with the advances of today. However, this book makes the case that, ...
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For modern scientists, history often starts with last week's journals and is regarded as largely a quaint interest compared with the advances of today. However, this book makes the case that, measured by major advances, the greatest decade in the history of brain studies was mid-twentieth century, especially the 1950s. The first to focus on worldwide contributions in this period, this book ranges through dozens of astonishing discoveries at all levels of the brain, from DNA (Watson and Crick), through growth factors (Hamburger and Levi-Montalcini), excitability (Hodgkin and Huxley), synapses (Katz and Eccles), dopamine and Parkinson's (Carlsson), visual processing (Hartline and Kuffler), the cortical column (Mountcastle), reticular activating system (Morruzzi and Magoun) and REM sleep (Aserinsky), to stress (Selye), learning (Hebb) and memory (HM and Milner). The clinical fields are also covered — from Cushing and Penfield, psychosurgery, and brain energy metabolism (Kety), to most of the major psychoactive drugs in use today (beginning with Delay and Deniker) — and much more. There is a focus on the creative process itself; on understanding how the combination of unique personalities, innovative hypotheses, and new methods led to the advances. Insight is given into this process through describing the struggles between male and female, student and mentor, academic and private sector, and the roles of chance and persistence. The book thus provides a multidisciplinary understanding of the revolution that created the modern field of neuroscience, and which set the bar for judging current and future advances.Less

Creating Modern Neuroscience: The Revolutionary 1950s

Gordon M. Shepherd MD, DPhil

Published in print: 2009-09-30

For modern scientists, history often starts with last week's journals and is regarded as largely a quaint interest compared with the advances of today. However, this book makes the case that, measured by major advances, the greatest decade in the history of brain studies was mid-twentieth century, especially the 1950s. The first to focus on worldwide contributions in this period, this book ranges through dozens of astonishing discoveries at all levels of the brain, from DNA (Watson and Crick), through growth factors (Hamburger and Levi-Montalcini), excitability (Hodgkin and Huxley), synapses (Katz and Eccles), dopamine and Parkinson's (Carlsson), visual processing (Hartline and Kuffler), the cortical column (Mountcastle), reticular activating system (Morruzzi and Magoun) and REM sleep (Aserinsky), to stress (Selye), learning (Hebb) and memory (HM and Milner). The clinical fields are also covered — from Cushing and Penfield, psychosurgery, and brain energy metabolism (Kety), to most of the major psychoactive drugs in use today (beginning with Delay and Deniker) — and much more. There is a focus on the creative process itself; on understanding how the combination of unique personalities, innovative hypotheses, and new methods led to the advances. Insight is given into this process through describing the struggles between male and female, student and mentor, academic and private sector, and the roles of chance and persistence. The book thus provides a multidisciplinary understanding of the revolution that created the modern field of neuroscience, and which set the bar for judging current and future advances.

The discovery of dopamine in 1957-8 was one of the seminal events in the development of modern neuroscience, and has been extremely important for the development of modern therapies of neurological ...
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The discovery of dopamine in 1957-8 was one of the seminal events in the development of modern neuroscience, and has been extremely important for the development of modern therapies of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Dopamine has a fundamental role in almost all aspects of behavior — from motor control to mood regulation, cognition and addiction and reward — and dopamine research has been unique within the neurosciences in the way it has bridged basic science and clinical practice. Over the decades, research into the role of dopamine in health and disease has been at the forefront of modern neuroscience.Less

Dopamine Handbook

Published in print: 2009-10-16

The discovery of dopamine in 1957-8 was one of the seminal events in the development of modern neuroscience, and has been extremely important for the development of modern therapies of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Dopamine has a fundamental role in almost all aspects of behavior — from motor control to mood regulation, cognition and addiction and reward — and dopamine research has been unique within the neurosciences in the way it has bridged basic science and clinical practice. Over the decades, research into the role of dopamine in health and disease has been at the forefront of modern neuroscience.

The nerve impulse is the basis of all human thoughts and emotions, and of all sensations and movements. As such, it has been the subject of scientific enquiry for more than two centuries, beginning ...
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The nerve impulse is the basis of all human thoughts and emotions, and of all sensations and movements. As such, it has been the subject of scientific enquiry for more than two centuries, beginning with Galvani’s chance observation that a frog’s leg twitched in response to an electrostatic discharge nearby. From being a metaphysical concept, the impulse became a phenomenon that could be recorded and have its velocity determined. However, the nature of the brief permeability changes in the nerve membrane that made the impulse possible, and of the way in which the nerve endings influenced the excitability of connecting neurons, remained problems that taxed the ingenuity of physiologists for many years. An important breakthrough was the discovery of giant nerve fibres in the squid, fibres large enough for new techniques to be employed, as in the voltage-clamp experiments of Hodgkin and Huxley immediately after World War II. The story culminates with the recent discovery of the 3-dimensional structure and detailed functioning of the ion channels, following MacKinnon’s X-ray diffraction studies, and with the revelation that a host of clinical disorders result from malfunction of the ion channels.Less

Galvani’s Spark : The Story of the Nerve Impulse

Alan McComas

Published in print: 2011-08-08

The nerve impulse is the basis of all human thoughts and emotions, and of all sensations and movements. As such, it has been the subject of scientific enquiry for more than two centuries, beginning with Galvani’s chance observation that a frog’s leg twitched in response to an electrostatic discharge nearby. From being a metaphysical concept, the impulse became a phenomenon that could be recorded and have its velocity determined. However, the nature of the brief permeability changes in the nerve membrane that made the impulse possible, and of the way in which the nerve endings influenced the excitability of connecting neurons, remained problems that taxed the ingenuity of physiologists for many years. An important breakthrough was the discovery of giant nerve fibres in the squid, fibres large enough for new techniques to be employed, as in the voltage-clamp experiments of Hodgkin and Huxley immediately after World War II. The story culminates with the recent discovery of the 3-dimensional structure and detailed functioning of the ion channels, following MacKinnon’s X-ray diffraction studies, and with the revelation that a host of clinical disorders result from malfunction of the ion channels.

Edited by Larry R. Squire, the seventh volume of The History of Neuroscience in Autobiography is a collection of autobiographical essays by notable senior scientists who discuss the major events that ...
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Edited by Larry R. Squire, the seventh volume of The History of Neuroscience in Autobiography is a collection of autobiographical essays by notable senior scientists who discuss the major events that shaped their discoveries and their influences, as well as the people who inspired them and helped shape their careers as neuroscientists. Each entry also includes a complete CV so that the interested reader may see their rise through the ranks as they achieved some of the highest honors in neuroscience. Contributors to the seventh volume include: Floyd E. Bloom, Joaquín Fuster, Michael S. Gazzaniga, Bertil Hille, Ivan Izquierdo, Edward Jones, Krešimir Krnjević, Nicole M. Le Douarin, Terje Lømo, Michael M. Merzenich, John Wilson Moore, Robert Y. Moore, Michael I. Posner, Peter H. Schiller, Gordon M. Shepherd, and Robert H. Wurtz.Less

The History of Neuroscience in Autobiography : Volume 7

Published in print: 2011-09-09

Edited by Larry R. Squire, the seventh volume of The History of Neuroscience in Autobiography is a collection of autobiographical essays by notable senior scientists who discuss the major events that shaped their discoveries and their influences, as well as the people who inspired them and helped shape their careers as neuroscientists. Each entry also includes a complete CV so that the interested reader may see their rise through the ranks as they achieved some of the highest honors in neuroscience. Contributors to the seventh volume include: Floyd E. Bloom, Joaquín Fuster, Michael S. Gazzaniga, Bertil Hille, Ivan Izquierdo, Edward Jones, Krešimir Krnjević, Nicole M. Le Douarin, Terje Lømo, Michael M. Merzenich, John Wilson Moore, Robert Y. Moore, Michael I. Posner, Peter H. Schiller, Gordon M. Shepherd, and Robert H. Wurtz.

This book contains a collection of autobiographical chapters by notable senior scientists who discuss the major events that shaped their discoveries and their influences, as well as the people who ...
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This book contains a collection of autobiographical chapters by notable senior scientists who discuss the major events that shaped their discoveries and their influences, as well as the people who inspired them and helped shape their careers as neuroscientists. Each entry also includes a complete CV so that the book tells the story of their rise through the ranks as they achieved some of the highest honors in neuroscience.Less

The History of Neuroscience in Autobiography Volume 6

Published in print: 2009-03-01

This book contains a collection of autobiographical chapters by notable senior scientists who discuss the major events that shaped their discoveries and their influences, as well as the people who inspired them and helped shape their careers as neuroscientists. Each entry also includes a complete CV so that the book tells the story of their rise through the ranks as they achieved some of the highest honors in neuroscience.